Pa. Senate set to take up wide-ranging budget bill

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania state senators are returning to the Capitol to deal with the remaining pieces of budget-related legislation for the newly begun fiscal year.

The Senate was scheduled to reconvene Tuesday afternoon.

A key budget-related bill covers a slew of topics, including guiding billions of dollars for public schools and hospitals, changing the way oil and gas drilling is regulated, establishing a new rural community college and allowing another $10 fee on certain state court filings.

A general spending bill for the $29.1 billion budget plan landed on Gov. Tom Corbett’s desk the day the fiscal year began July 1. But he’s not saying whether he’ll sign it while he waits for leaders of the House and Senate Republican majorities to settle a fight over final budget-related legislation.